I love the look of Bose's new wired earbuds – the colourful promo shots remind me of iPod days

The brand's new Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds are just £99

Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds
(Image credit: Bose)
Quick Summary

After more than a decade, Bose has brought new wired earbuds to the market for 2026. The aptly named Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds do exactly what they say on the tin.

Interestingly, thanks to a USB-C connection, the earbuds draw power from the device to which they're connected, delivering active noise-cancelling (ANC) without any battery requirements.

Set for launch on 15 October, and priced at £99 / $99, the Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds come in three colour options: Black, White Smoke and Dewdrop Mint.

The retro revival is truly here. Not only are youngsters and seasoned tech fans alike looking to vinyl and CD players, but there's renewed interest in wired earbuds, too.

That's why Bose has just revealed its first wired in-ear product in over a decade, the descriptively named Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds, which are due out mid-October with a £99 / $99 asking price.

The real trick to these, of course, is the addition of active noise-cancelling (ANC) in a wired 'bud form, giving these in-ears one of Bose's best features, just without any wireless connectivity.

When I first saw the promotional shots of these earbuds it took my mind back to Apple's iPod launch days – if you remember those iconic, colourful ads? Not that I'm comparing Bose's buds directly; it just triggered a wave of nostalgia for me.

That modern-retro design delivers an advanced feature set, all considered, as the Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds don't have any battery on board – but the active noise-cancelling (ANC) doesn't require one to operate.

That means no risk of them running dead, yet no restriction on the ANC type you want – with Bose offering the same Quiet and Aware options, per its other core headphone products. The earbuds draw power from the device to which they're connected – via the USB-C connection.

Sound quality caters for Hi-Res Audio, too, as the earbuds can output files to 24-bit/48kHz if you have the source material. That's well beyond CD quality, so whether you're streaming or plugged into a more elaborate source, this Bose product has got your back.

The Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds are available in classic Black or White Smoke, while a limited-edition Dewdrop Mint version is also available. I wouldn't be surprised if more colourways launch over time, too, as these in-ears look ripe for it.

It seems that 2026 is rapidly becoming the year of "modern retro", with products such as this showing that the anti-wireless, anti-AI and simpler choice is sometimes exactly what people want. And more iPod-style adverts, too, please.

Mike Lowe
Tech Editor

Mike is T3's Tech Editor. He's been writing about consumer technology for 15 years and his beat covers phones – of which he's seen hundreds of handsets over the years – laptops, gaming, TV & audio, and more. There's little consumer tech he's not had a hand at trying, and with extensive commissioning and editing experience, he knows the industry inside out. As the former Reviews Editor at Pocket-lint for 10 years where he furthered his knowledge and expertise, whilst writing about literally thousands of products, he's also provided work for publications such as Wired, The Guardian, Metro, and more.

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